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παρακαλεῖν: usually δοκῶ μοι (I am resolved) takes the inf. fut. (cf. Theaet. 183 d ἀλλά μοι δοκῶ οὐ πείσεσθαι αὐτῷ), but the pres. is also used (Pnaedr. 230 e ἐγὼ μέν μοι δοκῶ κατακεῖσθαι I intend to lie down, Ar. Vesp. 177 ἀλλ᾽ εἰσιών μοι τὸν ὄνον ἐξάγειν δοκῶ). So here παρακαλεῖν is to be taken as inf. pres. since the action referred to is close at hand. The appeal is repeated after the clause introduced by ὥσπερ.

Cf. Hom. Φ 307 (Σκάμανδρος) Σιμόεντι δὲ κέκλετ᾽ ἀύσας | ‘φίλε κασίγνητε, σθένος ἀνέρος ἀμφότεροί περ | σχῶμεν, ἐπεὶ τάχα ἄστυ μέγα Πριάμοιο ἄνακτος | ἐκπέρσει.’ Hence the unusual expression τὸν Σιμωνίδην ἐκπέρσῃ (cf. Soph. Tr. 1104 τυφλῆς ὑπ᾽ ἄτης ἐκπεπόρθημαι τάλας, Lobeck on Aias 1198) and the preceding πολιορκούμενον. This latter word is used figuratively in Rep. v. 453 a ἵνα μὴ ἔρημα τὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου λόγου πολιορκῆται that the opposite view may not be besieged without defenders.

ὑπέρ: Socrates's correction of the view of Protagoras will be at once a defence of Simonides.

μουσικῆς: used at times by Plato of all intellectual effort and knowledge (cf. Rep. ii. 376 e μουσικῆς δ᾽ εἰπὼν τίθης λόγους but when you say this, do you include literature in music?), esp. poetry and philosophy (cf. Phaedo 61 a ὡς φιλοσοφίας μὲν οὔσης μεγίστης μουσικῆς). Here, somewhat sarcastically, it denotes the knowledge of synonyms, cf. 337 a ff.

διαιρεῖς: Socrates had often heard Prodicus's expositions, see on 341 a, l. 15.

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  • Commentary references from this page (2):
    • Plato, Protagoras, 337a
    • Plato, Protagoras, 341a
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